Mileage and Cost of Main Roads. 
23 
Mileage and Cost of Main Roads. 
In England and Wales there are, as already stated, 27,380 
miles of roads classed as main roads in an irregular and 
irrational way and charged on the county at large. In Scot- 
land, all county roads are under the control of the County 
Councils, through a few District Committees in each county, 
and no roads are classed as main roads. 1 In Ireland all 
county roads are under the control of the County Councils, 
but the estimates must first be approved by the Rural District 
Councils. Main roads to an extent of from one-fifth to one- 
third of the total mileage have been declared in seventeen 
out of the thirty-two counties, and are charged one-half on 
the district and one-half on the county at large. 
The mileage of public roads in the United Kingdom, 
excluding those in urban districts and county boroughs, is 
approximately shown in the Table on page 24. 
In England and Wales the County Councils pay to the 
Councils of 825 Urban Districts an average amount of 221?. per 
mile per annum for the maintenance of 3,554 miles of main 
roads in these districts. 
In Scotland the average cost per annum of 2,100 miles of 
streets and roads maintained by town authorities is about 224?. 
per mile. 
Figures in relation to the mileage and cost of roads and 
streets in English and Irish county boroughs and urban 
districts are not readily available. The figures in the Table 
as to mileage and total annual expenditure on maintenance are 
taken from recent returns of the Local Government Boards, and 
the other figures are based on these returns. They show that 
the burden of taxation for rural roads would not be oppressive, 
if equalised, and that the nation could easily afford to provide 
better highways as quickly as the work could be done. 
It is astonishing to find that in Ireland the mileage of 
rural roads is nearly two and a half times that in Scotland 
and nearly half of that in England and Wales. 
The average cost per mile over the three countries is 26?. per 
annum, which is also the figure for Scotland taken separately. 
According to all the evidence available, the maintenance of 
main roads in England and Wales has been greatly improved 
since the Local Government Act of 1888 came into operation. 
This might naturally be expected, as the annual cost has 
increased considerably throughout the country. On main 
roads maintained directly by the County Councils the cost of 
maintenance increased from 55?. per mile in 1897 to 72?. 
1 Some minor roads, however, are maintained by Parish Councils, who in 
1903-4 expended 3,272 1. on them. 
